“DJC gives returning citizens like Black a hand in adjusting to life outside prison by helping them navigate the red tape that comes with re-entry and avoid the kinds of problems that could land them back in jail.

But the group is also involved in a broader effort to prevent people from ending up in jails and prisons in the first place.

Last year, it partnered and launched a bail fund with the Bail Project, a national organization started in 2017 to identify people in or at risk of pretrial detention and provide support for their release.

DJC is also suing Wayne County to give residents there a voice in the construction of a new $500 million, four-building jail complex in downtown Detroit, at a time when other cities are reconsidering or abandoning similar projects altogether.

The ultimate goal is to abolish the cash bail system—and jails overall.”